Tiso-samshita grove in Sochi.

I invite you to walk through the natural gallery of the Tiso-Samshita Grove, where time seems to have stopped. It is a kind of living museum of nature. Here is still preserved in its original form prehistoric relict forest of the Tertiary period, covering Europe 18-20 million years ago. In total, more than 500 species of plants grow in the grove on an area of 300 hectares. 60% of all species are relics, and 20% are found nowhere else.

Tiso-samshite grove in Sochi received conservation status on July 30, 1931, and was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999 as part of the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve.

The reserve can be accessed through the central entrance from Khosta, along Samshitovaya Street, there is a cash register, an information center with an exposition and a souvenir point. From here, the routes begin: the trail “Little Ring”, laid in the mid-30s of the last century, as well as the “Big Ring” and the route “Into the depths of centuries”.

My favorite in this temple of nature is the Big Ring route, laid back in the 1970s, a length of about 5 kilometers.

Even on the sunniest days there is a special greenish half-darkness, creating an atmosphere of a magical underwater kingdom. The world of the relic forest lives its own unique life: the intertwined roots of trees resemble ancient dinosaurs, and the moss-covered branches like fluttering deer or birds, wary of curious visitors. In this lively corner of nature, the imagination sharpens, and the photographer’s eyes begin to see the forest as a real scene of forest theater.

The Tiso-Samshit grove is full of secrets, life and magic. Here you can relax from the bustle of the city, and plunge into harmony, peace and tranquility.

I wish you a beautiful and creative journey!

With respect and warmth from Sochi, Elena Lisotina.